Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister
in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United
States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were
defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send
one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The
Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation
may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's
sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.